


by any other name

by sondersoflight



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: M/M, eddie richie and their cute dog thats all we need, eddie said im baby rights, thats it thats the whole thing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-14
Updated: 2019-10-14
Packaged: 2020-12-16 12:02:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21035933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sondersoflight/pseuds/sondersoflight
Summary: “Eddie, I’m –“Eddie says, “Do not fucking call me that.”A second later – he realizes what he has just said, and he looks up horrified at Richie’s confused face.“Um,” Richie says, leash dangling from his hand while Alfie tries to jump and catch it. “That’s…your name?”





	by any other name

Eddie is fucking annoyed.

He has been through a lot on the last six months, remembering his forgotten childhood, almost being murdered by a killer clown from outer space, divorcing his wife, moving across the country to live with his childhood best friend slash the fuckface that is apparently the love of his life. It’s a lot. It’s like he made up for all the boring years in between childhood and this in a way he hops it doesn’t happen again.

Moving in with Richie and the subsequent development of their no so platonic relationship turning fully non platonic had all been very natural. It was a long time coming, if all their friends were to be believed anyway, but they were both so tired and working through so much of their shit it had been a relatively peaceful time.

So, it was only natural that at some point the other show would drop.

They’ve had their first fight ever since they moved in together. It was over such a stupid fucking thing – Eddie doesn’t even remember now. It just had been blown out of proportion because the fight had happened just before Richie had to leave for the airport to get to fucking Chicago to do some stupid show. And Richie – he hadn’t called. And then when he had gotten back Eddie was even angrier and for some reason Richie had decided it was his prerogative to be offended.

But obviously, they are both forty – they live in the same house and they do have to take care of a dog, so they still talk to each other even if they haven’t really talked to each other for almost four days.

The worst part – what’s driving Eddie insane is…well it’s ridiculous really.

Richie has never called him by his actual name. Ever since they were introduced there has always been a modification to Eddie, either Eds, Eddie Spaghetti, Spaghetti man, Eduardo – and after they got together all of those nicknames had stayed but new ones had been added to his collection. Like baby, sweetheart, darling, or hot little ass when Richie is feeling particularly romantic.

But now – Richie keeps calling him Eddie.

_“Eddie I’m going to walk Alfie.” “Eddie, I’ve already fed him today.” “Eddie, Ben and Bev are coming next week.”_

It’s fucking irritating.

The worst fucking part is realizing how much he likes all the ridiculous things that come out of Richie’s mouth – which he will _never_ admit to. But he misses – he misses the way Richie’s voice goes all soft in the morning when he rolls over and says, _“Hi baby.” _And how he mouths _baby _against his lips when he kisses him after Eddie gets home from work, or home from walking Alfie or just when he sees Eddie and wants to kiss him.

Eddie wants to be called fucking _baby _by Richie Tozier, fuck it all.

But Eddie can put up with it. If Richie thinks this is what is going to break his will to keep this game of chicken going, _boy_ he is got another thing coming.

Or at least that what Eddie thinks. Clearly, he is not very in tune with his self these days because that afternoon as soon as Richie walks in the living room, leash in one hand and a lighter on the other one and says,

“Eddie, I’m –“

Eddie says, “Do not fucking call me that.”

A second later – he realizes what he has just said, and he looks up horrified at Richie’s confused face.

“Um,” Richie says, leash dangling from his hand while Alfie tries to jump and catch it. “That’s…your name?”

Eddie goes red.

“Old habit.” Eddie says and tries to pass it off as nothing.

The problem of being with your best friend – who has known you since you were a child is that is very hard to lie to them.

“I can’t believe this,” Richie says but now he is smiling. Eddie can see the ridiculous smile spreading across his face from the corner of his eye – because he is very fixedly staring at the T.V. and refusing to look at Richie. Suddenly these Storage Wars re-runs seem like the most interesting thing on earth. “You have been trying to get me to call you that since we were little children.”

Eddie will not answer. He will also not respond for the way he feels his cheeks go even hotter.

Richie drops the leash on the floor – what causes Alfie to bite into it and start running around the house with it. And then he drops his excessively long body on the couch next to Eddie.

“You know this little fluke is actually leading me to believe,” Richie mutters, leaning closer so his lips hover over Eddie’s ear. “That you actually like my nicknames Eds.”

Eddie huffs – but he feels something go loose in his chest.

“Not that one.” Eddie mutters barely opening his mouth. It’s a lie but Richie doesn’t need to know that.

“Which one do you like?” Richie says and now Eddie can feel his smile – it’d be cute if it weren’t so fucking annoying really.

“None.” Eddie says.

“Aw, c’mon baby, you don’t have to be embarrassed.”

That must do it – Eddie must have some weird face twitch or Richie must be a fucking mind reader because a second goes by and Richie is pushing him down onto the couch, trapping Eddie’s wrists with his giant hands and setting himself between his legs.

“Baby,” Richie says again – looking him in the eye this time and Eddie feels himself melt a bit. “Have you missed this, _baby_?”

“Shut the fuck up.” Eddie says but he lets out a little sigh when Richie presses his lips against the scar on Eddie’s cheek. “If you ever tell a soul about this, I will murder you in your sleep.”

“Baby, baby, baby.” Richie mutters annoyingly and moves to kiss him filthily in that way that makes his knees go weak.

Somewhere in the house – Eddie can hear Alfie running around the house, dragging his leash along and knocking things around but he finds himself unable to give a fuck when Richie pulls away all breathless and hazy eyed and mutters _“I missed it too, baby” _against his lips.

He can put up with Richie’s smugness for a bit more if he keeps calling him that.


End file.
